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Install VirtualBox MV on external hard drive

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How to install VirtualBox VM on an external hard drive

VirtualBox is one of the most used virtualization platforms today and not only because it is free but because of its wide set of features and functions that will make the management of virtual machines as complete as possible, in VirtualBox it is possible to virtualize Linux systems , Windows and macOS with complete integrity of its services and specifications, VirtualBox can be downloaded for free at the following link:

 

 VirtualBox

 

In the system where you install VirtualBox , it will host the virtual machines created in the user's local folder, in Windows 10 it will host them in the path C: \ Users \ [user] \ VirtualBox VMs, in the case of macOS it will be in the Home folder This is a default value, but based on the system used in each virtual machine, the size of the disk may be affected (this if we use small disks)..

 

 

Some machines can be more than 10GB in size and the most comprehensive solution for this is to install a VirtualBox machine on an external drive. This allows us to use the virtual machine at any time, but without taking up space on the local disk of the computer, let's see in this tutorial how to install a VirtualBox virtual machine on an external disk, in this example we will install Windows 10 on a Windows computer.

 

 

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How to install VirtualBox VM on an external hard drive

 

 

Step 1

First, we will open the local location where VirtualBox stores virtual machines to check:

 

image

 

 

Step 2

We see this machine in VirtualBox, now in Explorer we check the external hard drive. In this case the external disk is D.

 

 

image

 

 

Step 3

Open VirtualBox, there we are going to create a new virtual machine using any of the following options:
  • Using the Ctrl + N keys

 

 

 

Ctrl + N

  • From the Machine - New menu
  • Clicking on New

 

 

 

image

 

 

Step 4

The following window will be displayed:

 

image

 

Step 5

There we enter the name of the virtual machine, as well as the type and version of the system, in the field "Machine folder" we select "Other":

 

image

 

 

Step 6

Select the external hard drive and create a folder for the virtual machine, we apply the changes:

 

image

 

Step 7

In VirtualBox we can see that this is the path where the virtual machine will be hosted:

 

image

 

Step 8

We click Next to define the RAM memory:

 

image

 

 

Step 9

In the next window we are going to create the virtual hard disk:

 

image

 

 

Step 10

We click on "Create", we define the type of hard drive:

 

image

 

Step 11

Now we set the disk space:

 

image

 

 

Step 12

In the next window we establish:
  • The size of the virtual hard disk
  • The path where the virtual disk will be hosted, by default it will be on the external hard disk

 

 

 

 

image

 

 

Step 13

We click on Create to complete the process.

 

image

 

 

Step 14

We validate on the external disk that the virtual machine files have been created:

 

image

 

 

Step 15

In VirtualBox we click on Start and we will see the following:

 

 

image

 

 

Step 16

There we select the ISO of the selected system to continue with the process:

 

image

 

 

Step 17

In this case we will see the following:

 

image

 

 

Step 18

Click Next and then click "Install Now":

 

image

 

 

Step 19

We will see this:

 

image

 

 

Step 20

We enter (if we have) the key and then select the version to use:

 

image

 

 

Step 21

We accept the license of use:

 

image

 

 

Step 22

Then we define the type of installation:

 

image

 

 

Step 23

Select the disk where the system will be installed:

 

image

 

 

Step 24

Click Next to start the installation in this case of Windows 10:

 

image

 

 

Step 25

After this the system will reboot:

 

image

 

 

Step 26

Select language:

 

image

 

 

Step 27

Define the keyboard:

 

image

 

 

Step 28

Complete all the required process:

 

image

 

 

Step 29

Finally, the system will be installed in VirtualBox on the external disk:

 

image

 

 

Step 30

Again check that the virtual machine files are on the external hard drive. Now simply when we are going to use this virtual machine we must connect the external hard drive to the computer and start the virtual machine from VirtualBox.

 

image

 

 

This is how simple the process is to install a VirtualBox machine on an external disk to save local space..

 


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